Protective apparel having high gas or liquid barrier and also having socks are not dissipative of electrical charges and may charge to a dangerous level. A means is therefore required to dissipate charges in an effective way without interfering with the integrity of the barrier.
With existing designs the charges are able to spread on one or both sides of the barrier substrate due to antistatic coating, but not from one side to the other through the substrate. Moreover, as charges are generated inside the garments due to movement they need to reach the ground on the outside the garment and so those charges have to be transferred through the substrate at some point. The present invention provides a system that protects a wearer of a protective suit from charge buildup and its consequences.